Protective mat for beverage glasses and the like



Feb.5,1 1935. E 1,990,372

PROTECTIVE MAT FOR BEVERAGE GLASSES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 21, 1933INVENTOR; HUBER-FF Emu-L. BY W A TTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 5, 1935 1,990,372 PROTECTIVE MAT FOR BEVERAGE GLASSES ANDTHE LIKE Hobart F. Cole, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application December 21, 1933, Serial No. 703,422

Claims.

The present invention relates to a protective mat for beverage glasses,and the like, and particularly stem glasses such as are used for servingcocktails, an object being to provide a mat 5 intended for a single usewhich may be easily snapped onto the glass base, will be effectivelyretained in centralized relation thereon, and will provide a. protectionagainst dripping while holding or tipping theglass and against stainingsurfaces upon which the glass may be placed. Another object is toprovide a mat constructed of a material which will absorb the moistureor drippings from the glass and at the same time will not transmit suchmoisture to surfaces upon which the mat may be placed. A further objectis to provide a mat which will: provide a firm support for the glass, sothat it cannot be readily tipped over.

' With the above and other objects in view embodiments of the inventionare shown in the accompanying drawing, and these embodiments will behereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and theinvention will be finally pointed out in the claims. 1

In the drawing: a

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the mat, according to a preferredembodiment of the invention', attached to the base of a stem glass.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the mat showing the manner in which it issnapped onto the base of the glass.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the same in place on the base of theglass.

. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from whic the mat is formed.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mat.

Fig. 6 is an edge view thereof.

Fig. 7 is an edge view of a modified form of the invention.

Similar reference characters indicate corre- 'sponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the protective mat, according to the exemplaryillustrated embodiment of the invention, is formed from a substantiallyrectangular blank preferably of absorbent material, as heavy card-boardor blotting paper, and comprises a substantially square base portion 10and flap portions 1111 folded over upon the upper side of the baseportion along the parallel folding lines 12-12, indicated by thedot-and-dash lines, Fig. 4. v-shaped cut-outs 13-13 are provided in theopposed edges of the flaps in spaced relation from the upper and loweredges, the opposed edges between the cut-outs and the upper and loweredges being parallel and preferably-spaced apart.

The corners of the flaps adjacent the folded edges are secured to thebase 10 by means of staples 14, although it will be understood that 5the flaps may be secured by any other suitable means, as for instance,by pasting at 1515, as shown in the modification, Fig. '7. The staplesare preferably diagonally disposed at the corners, so that they definepockets into which the cir- 10 cular glass base is engaged which aresubstan tially concentric with the edge of the base.

The glass base is most conveniently engaged with the mat by bending thebase portion 10 of the mat into arcuate form, as shown in Fig. 2, the 15base, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. When so engaged the inclined edges ofthe cut-outs cling to the upper surface of the glass base which ispsually slightly tapering, and in conjunction with the pockets formed bystapling down of the corners effectively holds the mat in snug andcentralized relation. While theedgesof the flaps are shown spaced theymay be formed so that they substantially abut. In any case the spacingwill be such that drippings upon the upper surface of the glass basewill not pass between the spaces to the mat base 10, being absorbed bythe flaps 1111. With the slight spacing as shown the drippings flowinginto the spaces will, through capillary action, be absorbed by theflaps. It will be observed that when the glass base is inserted, asshown in Fig. 2 the intermediate portions of the flaps 11-11 between thestaples is bulged upwardly, while the edge portions are held down by thestaples. This action is such that it causes the edges of the flaps to bedrawn down and to cling to the upper surface of the glass base, therebysecurely holding it in place. In the modification shown in Fig. 7 thepasting 15 is preferably confined to the corners, so that it has thesame pocket forming function as the staples 14.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodimentsof the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be madetherein, within the spirit .and scope thereof, as

defined in the appended claims. 5

prising a base. a pair of flaps eontactingly over- 65.

lying the upper side of said base and having their inner edgescontiguous and forming a transverse opening extending from the upper tothe lower edges of said flaps, the upper and lower edges of said flapsbeing unsecured to said base adjacent said opening whereby the: inneredges of said flaps may be sprung away from said base, and meanssecuring together the contacting surfaces of said flaps and base atpoints spaced from said inner edges.

2. A protective mat for beverage glasses and the like, made of absorbentmaterial and comprising a base having two opposed parallel side edges, apair of flaps folded along said opposed side edges upon the upper sideof said base, and having their inner edges contiguous and forming atransverse opening extending from the upper to the lower edges of saidflaps, the upper and lower edges of said flaps being unsecured to saidbase adjacent said opening whereby the inner edges of said flaps may besprung away from said base, and means securing together the contactingsurfaces of said flaps and base at points spaced from said inner edges.

3. A protective mat for beverage glasses and thelike, made of absorbentmaterial and comprising a base having two opposed parallel side edges, apair of flaps folded along said opposed side edges upon the upper sideof said base and having their inner edges contiguous and forming atransverse opening extending from the upper to the lower edges of saidflaps, there being opposed cut-outs in said inner edges intermediate theupper and lower edges, said upper and lower edges of said flaps beingunsecured to said base adjacent said opening whereby the'inner edges ofsaid flaps may be sprung away from said base, and means securingtogether the contacting surfaces of said flaps and base at points spacedfrom said inner edges.

4. A protective mat for stemmed beverage glasses and the like,comprising a single strip of absorbent material having a centralbase-forming portion and end flap-forming portions folded upon saidcentral portion along spaced parallel lines at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of said strip, and means securing together said flapportions and said baseportion at points spaced from the inner edges ofsaid flap portions.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4, further characterized in thatthe end edges of said strip each have a centrally disposed notch, saidnotches in the folded relation of said flap portions constituting anopening adapted to surround the stem of the glass.

' HOBART F. COLE.

